Chapter 18: THE UNREADABLE SMILE

The door to Class IX-9 opened slowly, and Iris stepped in with a casual stride—so casual that she almost looked like she’d just returned from a stroll in the park on a sunny morning, not from the infirmary after a dramatic, fake stomach ache. Her face showed no signs of panic or regret, no guilty or embarrassed expression that usually appeared on someone who’d just been caught lying. No sweat on her forehead, no tremble in her hands, no ragged breath. All that showed was a calm little smile, a smile that was hard to read.

That expression—that calm, meaningful smile—immediately caught everyone’s attention in the classroom. Eight pairs of eyes locked onto Iris. Some burning with curiosity, some staring with suspicion sharp as knives, and some with expressions she couldn’t read—like unsolved riddles, like sealed books, like secrets that didn’t want to be shared.

In the front row, Ella Virel—a girl with long black hair always tied neatly at the back of her head and sharp eyes that always seemed to be suspecting something, like a detective searching for clues in every corner—stared at Iris with a look she couldn’t hide. Her dark brown eyes moved quickly, observing every detail of Iris’s appearance: the way she walked with light steps, the way she smiled with slightly lifted lips, the way she held back from looking too pleased. Ella didn’t believe in coincidences. She knew there was something behind that smile, something Iris was hiding, and she was determined to find out what it was. All this time, Ella had learned that nothing happened without a reason, no smile appeared without cause, and she wouldn’t stop until she uncovered the truth behind all of this.

"Iris," Ella called in a soft but firm voice, her eyes unblinking, staring at Iris as if she were reading the girl’s mind. "You look... very happy for someone who just had a stomach ache."

Iris turned to Ella with the smile still lingering on her face—a smile that wasn’t shaken in the least by Ella’s sharp gaze. "What do you mean, Ella? I’m just glad my pain’s gone. Isn’t that normal?"

"Gone pretty fast," Rin Scarlet chimed in from the second row—a girl with short red hair who was always critical and never afraid to say what she thought, no matter how controversial. Her sharp, eagle-like eyes stared at Iris with curiosity she didn’t bother hiding, and her hands, which usually tapped the desk in an impatient rhythm, had now stopped, showing she was completely focused on this conversation. "Usually people with stomach aches take a long time to recover, especially if they had to be carried to the infirmary. But you’re back in less than an hour with a smile like nothing happened."

"Lucky me, I recover fast," Iris answered casually, unfazed by Rin’s sarcasm. Her eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief, and she added in a slightly teasing tone, "Maybe because the treatment was really good. Maybe because Mr. Kai carried me so carefully."

Rin blinked, a little taken aback by Iris’s answer. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. This was the first time Rin had been lost for words in a conversation, and it frustrated her a little.

"Or maybe because you weren’t really sick," Eve Neon added from the second row on the right, without lifting her head from her laptop. Her fingers were still dancing across the keyboard at an impressive speed, creating a rhythmic clicking sound that served as the room’s background music. Her voice came through clearly in the quiet room, flat and emotionless, as usual. "Based on data I’ve collected from 47 similar cases over the past two years, 80% of ’sudden illness’ cases at this school are fake. 15% are real but not serious, and only 5% actually require medical attention."

Iris blinked, a little surprised by Eve’s intervention—the girl who usually never cared about social drama, who was more comfortable with code and numbers than humans, who spoke more often to her laptop than to her classmates. "You collect data on that?"

"I collect data on everything," Eve replied flatly, still not lifting her head. Her fingers kept dancing across the keyboard, and she added, "It helps me understand patterns of human behavior. And your behavior pattern shows you weren’t really sick. Your pulse was normal, no signs of fever, and your gait showed no pain. You also weren’t clutching your stomach like people usually do when they have a stomach ache."

Hearing that, Iris couldn’t help but let out a small laugh—a genuine laugh, one that came from deep within her. "Eve, you’re a really strange genius. I don’t know whether to be impressed or scared."

"Impressed," Eve replied without expression, still focused on her laptop screen. "I’m always right. That’s a fact."

From the third row, Nora Vale—a girl with long white hair that hung down to her waist and pale blue eyes that were always alert like a guard who never slept—just sat quietly staring at Iris with an unreadable expression. Nora never spoke much, but her eyes were always moving, always observing, always noting every detail others might miss. She looked at Iris, and she saw that something was different—something she couldn’t explain, but she knew it was there. There was a light in Iris’s eyes she’d never seen before, a warmth in her smile she’d never felt before. And Nora wondered—what really happened in the infirmary? What had changed Iris?

Fay Winter—a girl with pale blonde hair and empty eyes that often drifted into daydreams, who often laughed for no reason and cried without cause—sat smiling to herself in the corner of the room, her gaze wandering off in some unclear direction, maybe toward the sky outside the window, maybe toward the world inside her head that no one else could reach. She didn’t notice the conversation, didn’t notice the tension building among her classmates. She just smiled, as always, like there was a world inside her head no one else could access, like she was listening to music no one else could hear.

Aria Sol—a girl with black hair tied back neatly, not a single strand out of place, and big eyes that were always worried, always anxious, always preparing for the worst—clutched a small bag in her lap, her fingers nervously biting at her nails, a habit that had been part of her since childhood. Her eyes darted from Iris to Luna, from Luna to Kai who hadn’t come in yet, from Kai to the door, from the door to the window, from the window to the sky outside. She was always anxious, always worried, always preparing for the worst. And right now, she felt that something bad was going to happen—something she couldn’t predict, something that made her heart beat faster.

"Everyone, that’s enough," Ella said in a firm voice, trying to stop the conversation that was starting to heat up. She stood from her desk, her eyes scanning each of her classmates one by one with an undeniable gaze, a gaze that said she was the class president and what she said was law. "Iris is back. That’s what matters. We don’t need to keep questioning her."

"But—" Rin tried to protest, but Ella had already raised her hand, cutting Rin off mid-sentence.

"No buts, Rin." Ella stared at Rin with a look that made the red-haired girl sigh and give up, slumping back into her seat with a dissatisfied expression. Ella was the class president, and when she spoke in that tone, no one dared to argue. "We all know Iris likes to mess around sometimes. But this time, she’s back, and she looks healthy. That’s what matters."

Iris gave Ella a small smile—a smile that said "thank you" without needing to be spoken. Ella just gave a small nod in return, her eyes still watching Iris with curiosity she didn’t hide. She didn’t believe Iris was really sick, but she also didn’t want to cause unnecessary drama. There was a time to ask questions, and a time to stay quiet. This was a time to stay quiet.

Iris walked toward her desk in the third row, her steps still casual, unhurried, as if she didn’t care about all the eyes fixed on her. She set her bag down beside the desk, pulled out her chair with a calm motion, and was just about to sit down when a voice from the side called her name.

"Iris."

The voice was soft, almost a whisper, but it was clear in the quiet classroom. A voice that was rarely heard, a voice that made Iris pause for a moment and turn toward its source with undisguised curiosity.

Luna Ash—a girl with silver-gray hair who always sat in the corner of the room with half-closed eyes, who always looked like she was daydreaming but was actually observing everything, who was always quiet but never missed a single detail—stood up from her desk. Her eyes, usually cold and indifferent, usually empty and distant, were now fixed on Iris with an unusual intensity. There was something there, something Iris had never seen before. Something like anxiety, but also deep curiosity. Something like anger, but also deep sadness.

"Iris," Luna repeated, her voice still soft, but this time with a more forceful tone, a tone that made Iris realize this wasn’t an ordinary conversation. "I want to talk to you." ℴ

Iris blinked, a little surprised by Luna’s initiative. All this time, Luna was the girl who preferred to observe rather than engage, who was more comfortable sitting in the corner and staring out the window than talking to others, who preferred keeping everything to herself rather than sharing with others. But now, she was standing in front of Iris with a serious expression, and Iris could feel that there was something important she wanted to say—something she’d been holding in for a long time, something she couldn’t hold back anymore.

"What’s up, Luna?" Iris asked in a casual tone, trying to hide her growing curiosity. Her eyes watched Luna carefully, trying to read the girl’s expression, trying to figure out what was behind that sharp gaze.

Luna didn’t answer right away. She stared at Iris with a long look—a look that made Iris feel like she was being interrogated, like she was being tested, like she was being judged. Then, in a voice that was almost a whisper, Luna said:

"I saw you."

Iris blinked. "Saw me? Saw me what?"

"I saw you this morning," Luna continued, her voice still soft, but with a sharp edge to it, an edge that made Iris feel something strange in her chest. "At the gate. With Mr. Kai. I saw what you did."

Hearing that, Iris’s smile faded a little. Her eyes narrowed, and she felt something strange in her chest—something like discomfort, but also growing curiosity. "What do you mean? I just greeted Mr. Kai. That’s all. Nothing special."

"I know," Luna said, and this time her voice was a little louder, a little firmer, like she was trying to convince herself. "But the way you greeted him... the way you got close to him... the way you whispered in his ear..."

Luna paused for a moment, as if searching for the right words, as if trying to express something difficult to express. Her eyes were still fixed on Iris with unusual intensity, and Iris could see that the girl was struggling with something—something she couldn’t easily express, something that made her look vulnerable and fragile.

"I didn’t like it," Luna finally said, her voice trembling slightly at the end, like she was holding back tears she didn’t want to show. "I didn’t like the way you treated him."

Hearing that, Iris felt something strange in her chest—something like guilt, but also growing curiosity. She stared at Luna with wide eyes, trying to understand what was really going on. "Luna, what do you mean? What didn’t you like? I just—"

"You know what I mean, Iris." Luna’s voice grew firmer, sharper, more emotional. There was something in her eyes—something like hurt, something like betrayal. "You know Mr. Kai is a good person. You know he cares about us. But you treat him like... like a toy. Like someone you can play with however you want."

Iris fell silent. Luna’s words stabbed into her heart like needles, making her feel something she’d never felt before—something like shame, but also burning anger. "I don’t treat him like a toy. I just—"

"You whispered in his ear," Luna cut in, her voice starting to rise, and Iris could see that the girl was starting to lose control of her emotions. Her face, usually pale and cold, was now flushed, her eyes, usually empty, now glistening with unshed tears. "You made him confused. You made him worried. And you looked satisfied after doing it."

"That’s not true," Iris argued, her voice starting to rise too, refusing to back down. "I just—"

"I saw the way you smiled," Luna continued, and this time tears started to well up in her eyes, streaming down her pale cheeks. "I saw the way you smiled after you whispered to him. Like... like you won. Like you got what you wanted. Like you..."

Luna couldn’t continue. She bit her lip, holding back the sobs rising in her throat. The tears she’d been holding back with all her strength finally fell, wetting her pale cheeks. And for the first time, Iris saw Luna as something more than just a quiet classmate—she saw Luna as someone who also had feelings, someone who also liked the same person, someone who also felt jealous and hurt.

Iris opened her mouth to answer, but before the words could come out, a voice from behind cut off their conversation.

"Luna, Iris, what’s going on here?"

Mira Elno—a girl with shoulder-length brown hair who always smiled, who was always the source of energy in the classroom, who always tried to make others laugh—stood beside them, her eyes moving from Iris to Luna with a confused expression. Her usually ever-present smile was now gone, replaced by a worried expression rarely seen on her cheerful face.

"Nothing’s going on, Mira," Iris answered quickly, trying to end the conversation that was starting to heat up. "We were just chatting."

"Chatting?" Mira blinked, not believing it. Her usually sparkling eyes were now dark with concern. "Sounded more like an argument than chatting. You two were yelling."

"I was just asking Iris something," Luna said, her voice back to soft, but still with a sharp edge. "About the way she treats Mr. Kai."

"Mr. Kai?" Mira blinked again, this time with an even more confused expression. Her eyes moved from Luna to Iris, trying to understand what was really going on. "What does Mr. Kai have to do with you two? What happened?"

"I don’t know," Luna answered, and her eyes locked back onto Iris sharply. "Ask Iris. She’s the one who knows."

Mira turned to Iris, her eyes full of undisguised curiosity. "Iris, what happened? Why is Luna mad at you? What did you do?"

Iris let out a long sigh, feeling trapped between two girls who were equally curious, equally inquisitive, equally unwilling to let go. "Nothing happened, Mira. I just greeted Mr. Kai at the gate. That’s all. Luna misunderstood."

"I didn’t misunderstand," Luna argued in a firm voice, and the tears in her eyes started flowing more heavily. "I saw everything. I saw the way you approached him. I saw the way you whispered in his ear. I saw the way you smiled afterward. I saw..."

Luna paused for a moment, and Iris could see that she was struggling with something big—something she’d been holding in for a long time, something she couldn’t hold back anymore.

"I saw the way you confused him," Luna continued, her voice starting to tremble, tears streaming down her cheeks. "And I didn’t like it. I didn’t like seeing him confused. I didn’t like seeing him worried. I..."

Luna couldn’t continue. The tears she’d been holding back with all her strength finally fell, soaking her pale cheeks. She looked down, not wanting anyone to see her crying, not wanting anyone to see her vulnerability.

Luna likes Mr. Kai, Iris thought, and her chest felt tight. She likes him too. And she saw me flirting with him at the gate. That’s why she’s mad. That’s why she’s jealous. That’s why she’s crying.

Mira seemed to understand too. She stared at Luna with an unreadable expression—a mix of sympathy and confusion, understanding and disbelief. "Luna, do you—"

"I don’t want to talk about it," Luna cut in quickly, turning away to hide her tear-stained face. "I just want Iris to stop treating Mr. Kai like a toy. That’s all."

"I don’t treat him like a toy," Iris said, this time in a softer, more sincere voice. She looked at Luna with understanding eyes, and for the first time, she felt what Luna was feeling. "I just... I just wanted to see how he’d react. I didn’t mean to confuse him or worry him. I just..."

Iris stopped, not knowing how to continue. She stared at Luna, and for the first time, she saw the girl from a different perspective—not as a quiet, mysterious classmate, but as someone who also had feelings, someone who also liked the same person, someone who also felt jealous and hurt.

"I’m sorry, Luna," Iris said softly, and the words came out sincerely. "I didn’t know that you—"

"I don’t need your apology," Luna cut in, her voice still trembling, but with a slightly calmer tone. "I just want you to stop. That’s all."

"Alright, alright, you two," Mira cut in, trying to lighten the increasingly awkward atmosphere. "No need to fight. We’re all friends, right?"

"Friends?" Luna turned to Mira with still-glistening eyes. "Are we really friends, Mira?"

"Of course," Mira answered with a reassuring smile, a smile that said everything would be okay. "We’re all friends. And we all care about each other. And we all care about Mr. Kai. So why don’t we stop fighting and—"

"Mira’s right," Ella chimed in from the front, her voice firm and undeniable. She stood from her desk, staring at all her classmates with a serious expression. "We’re all here to support each other, not to tear each other down. Luna, I know you’re worried. Iris, I know you were just joking. But we all need to remember that Mr. Kai is our teacher, and we need to respect him."

"I do respect him," Luna said softly, still not looking at anyone. Her eyes stared at the floor, like she was searching for answers among the cracks in the old ceramic tiles. "That’s why I don’t like seeing him treated like that."

"I respect him too," Iris added, and her voice was filled with a sincerity she’d never shown before. "I just... I’m just not used to a teacher who cares like he does. I don’t know how to act."

"You can act normal," Rin suggested from her desk, her voice a little softer than usual, without the sarcasm that usually laced her words. "You don’t need to play games to get his attention."

"I know," Iris said, and for the first time, she truly meant what she said. "I’ll try."

Luna finally looked at Iris, and for a moment, there was silence between them—an uncomfortable silence, but also one full of meaning. A silence that said they understood each other, that they respected each other, that they valued each other. Then Luna let out a long breath and sat back down at her desk, her eyes returning to the window, but this time there was something different in her expression—something like relief, but also sadness. Relief because she’d said what she needed to say, and sadness because she knew her feelings would never be reciprocated.

But before the atmosphere could fully thaw, the classroom door opened softly.

Kai walked in with heavy steps, his face looking tired—not too obvious, but enough for everyone in the room to notice. There were faint dark circles under his eyes, showing he hadn’t slept well, and his usually composed face now showed a hint of panic he wasn’t hiding well. He walked to the front of the class with movements that no longer carried the confidence from this morning, setting his things down on the teacher’s desk with movements slower than usual, like he was trying to gather whatever energy he had left.

All eyes were on him. Iris, Luna, Mira, Ella, Rin, Eve, Nora, Aria, and Fay—all the girls in Class IX-9 stared at Kai with various expressions. Some curious, some worried, some trying to read what was behind that tired face. And in each of their hearts, there was the same question: what happened to Mr. Kai?

"Mr. Kai," Mira greeted with a cheerful voice, trying to break the awkward atmosphere that was starting to settle. "You look tired. Didn’t you get enough sleep?"

Kai stared at Mira with an unreadable expression, then let out a long sigh—a sigh that carried all the day’s exhaustion. "I’m fine, Mira. Just a little tired. Nothing to worry about."

"You look a little panicked," Rin added from her desk, her eyes narrowing with undisguised curiosity. "What’s up? Did something happen?"

"Nothing," Kai answered quickly, maybe too quickly. His hand reached for the chalk, but his fingers trembled slightly. "Nothing to worry about. Let’s continue with the lesson, shall we?"

But everyone in the class knew something was going on. They could see it in the way Kai moved, in the way he spoke, in the way he avoided eye contact. And though no one said anything, everyone felt that something had changed.

"Mr. Kai," Ella called from the front, her voice firm and full of concern. "Are you sure nothing’s wrong? You don’t seem like yourself."

Kai stared at Ella, and for a moment, he looked like he wanted to say something. But then he shook his head and smiled—a forced smile, one that didn’t reach his eyes. "I’m sure, Ella. Just a little tired. Nothing to worry about."

But Iris saw something different. She saw that Kai’s hand trembled slightly as he held the chalk. She saw that his eyes weren’t focused on the textbook in front of him. She saw that something was bothering his mind—something that was keeping him from concentrating on the lesson, something that made him look distant and empty.

Something’s wrong, Iris thought, and worry started creeping into her chest, like a snake slithering slowly through the night. I need to find out. I need to help him.

But for now, all she could do was sit and watch, waiting for the right time to act. And as Kai started explaining the lesson in a voice that still trembled slightly, Iris watched carefully—noting every small detail, every change in expression, every word he said. She noted how Kai gripped the chalk tightly, how he occasionally stared blankly out the window, how he sometimes stopped mid-sentence before continuing again.

Later, Iris thought, and in her heart, she made a promise to herself. Later I’ll find out what happened to you, Mr. Kai.